Friday Night Activity-Church History Museum

For our Friday night family activity Josh had the idea to go to the Church History Museum. It was so much fun! Prepare for picture overload!

I am getting so excited for warm weather and flowers!

A first edition Book of Mormon (so cool) as well as an original manuscript written by Oliver Cowdery.

The original Grandun Press (no idea how to spell that), that printed the first copies of the Book of Mormon.

The watch that saved John Taylor's life (it was him right? or was it Willard Richards, I forget).

Maybe I am morbid, but I thought this was so interesting. They are Joseph and Hyrum Smith's death masks.

This was a replica of the bunks that the early Saints had to sleep in on their way to America. Each family had one bunk. We would be so squished!

They had a board set up that had a round pole on the bottom that you were supposed to walk across to see how it would feel to walk on a ship. Our sweet tour guide held Hunter's hand while he went across.

They boys had to each try it to prove they could cut it on a ship.

Antique organ.

This is what the sacrament used to look like. They would pass around the same cup and everyone would drink out of it....I would struggle with that.

Early baptism font from Logan Temple.

Early alter from the Manti temple.

In the early days the church and people of Utah tried to be 100% self sufficient. They actually had silk worms to make silk. This dress is made completely of Utah silk worm silk. Beautiful.

They had a huge scaffolding that was designed to show how the pioneers built the Tabernacle. I had always heard that they didn't use any nails, only wooden pegs. It is true. This is what they look like. Amazing

It was so neat to see how they solved different problems with the Tabernacle. If the beams cracked they would tie rawhide around them. Way cool.

And of course we can't get out of any place without a time out.

Even McKay struggled to behave. :)

There was a lot of original church art there. So cool.

There was a children's part of the museum upstairs. This was a lot more down the boys alley. They had so much fun.

Palmer and Lincoln were very inspired by the part where it talks about prophets. This is what they came away with. "Be nice."

CTR crayon rubbings.

This was a hospital baby nursery. I am sure girls eat this one up, my boys thought it was cool to fill our birth certificates. I tried to get them into it. I said "boys look all of the babies are on the floor, can you put them back in their beds?" Palmer looked at me and said "Mom, they're fake." Totally shot down.

There was seriously so many things to do. Even the walls had activities on them.

They had pictures all over of different things. This one was of President Hinckley watering his Walnut Tree. They actually have a piece of it you can go and touch.

Putting together a stained glass window.

Bean bag game. You had to try and get it in the Celestial Kingdom.

Sweet! Celestial Kingdom here I come!

Hunter thought the dress ups were pretty cool. They are actually to put on a play of the birth of the Savior, but they worked for being Lehi as well.

Coloring "stained glass windows."

They had a huge mural of the Tree of Life. You could take off all of the labels and then read the story and the kids had to label it as you read. Okay, totally doesn't make sense, but really fun. I like that they learned the story.

Taking the fruit from the Tree of Life.

The "Great and Spacious Building."

Picking the fruit from the Tree of Life.

After the museum we went to the new downtown Deseret Book across from Temple Square. It was seriously cool.

Not a great pic, but at the top if you see the white squares together...that was a TV screen. It was so cool!

The bakery part was the favorite I think.

You could fill up a bag with candy for $5. We were on that train pretty quick. What to choose!

Some of the great stuff they have there.

There was some amazing art hanging up. This picture was my favorite. I am in love with it!

This one was Josh's favorite, so we will have to get both of them right?

Here is another picture I loved. It is of the Nauvoo Temple.

I loved this one too. Seriously amazing store.